Generally, a two-sided business model involves two distinct user groups with a provider providing an infrastructure used by both user groups. A first of the two user groups, also referred to as upstream customers typically provide services and/or products that may be used by a second of the two user groups, also referred to as downstream customers. Both the upstream customers and the downstream customers may make use of the infrastructure provided by the provider to communicate, sell/buy services and/or products, make payments, and so forth. Examples of upstream customers may include developers, retailers, governments, content owners, and so forth, while downstream customers are normally end users.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art communications network 100 arranged to support a two-sided business model involving a service provider. Communications network 100 includes a service provider 105 that may provide data and/or voice services to upstream customers 110 as well as downstream customers 115. Service provider 105 may be a telecommunications service provider, such as a regional bell operating company (RBOC), a cable-based data provider, a digital subscriber line data provider, a satellite data provider, a power line data provider, a wireless telecommunications data provider (such as a cellular telephone company, a wireless network provider, and so forth), and so on, that bills its customers (upstream customers 110 and downstream customers 115) for telecommunications service. In addition to charging for data/voice connectivity related services, service provider 105 may also be able to charge upstream customers 110 a commission if service provider 105 participated in introducing downstream customers 115 to upstream customers 110.